During the upcoming Living History Celebration on Saturday, July 20, at White Chimneys Estate in Gap, the Historical Society of Salisbury Township will present a special display featuring the work of Lancaster County artist Milton Denlinger. The exhibit, which will be located in the site's bridal suite, will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Denlinger, who lived from 1909 to 1991, was born and raised in Gap and attended art schools in Coatesville and Philadelphia. In addition to painting, he had an engraving business and did lettering on signs, vehicles and mailboxes. He also painted murals for five churches in the Lancaster County area.

On July 20, visitors can expect to see more than 20 of Denlinger's paintings, most of which are owned by Sherry Denlinger Groff, Denlinger's granddaughter. Groff will be on hand during the day to answer questions and possibly learn information from community members about their recollections of Denlinger and his artwork.

"I want to hear the stories. I want people to come out and tell (me where they have seen his art)," she said. "This show would be interested to artists ... to see how he learned in art school and the style he was taught long ago. It would be interesting to historians to see the local scenes he has painted; they would recognize some of the (locations). It would also be interesting to local businesses. He took photographs of the lettering that he did."

Other collectors who own Denlinger artwork will also be loaning their paintings to the society for the one-day exhibit.

Groff noted that visitors will be able to view Denlinger's practice sketches from his time at art school in Coatesville from 1923 to 1925, which feature his own handwritten notes about the drawings, as well as notes from the art teacher. Groff shared that she does not know the name or location of the art school or the identity of the art teacher, and she hopes that someone who attends the upcoming exhibit will be able to tell her.

There will also be a photo of Denlinger's engraving business, Artist Emblem Company in Soudersburg, and photos of trucks and buildings that he lettered, including one of a Herr's Potato Chips truck with the lettering on it that he painted in 1959. "He worked at an engraving company in Lancaster and started his own company," Groff noted. "He did engravings on high school class rings, but I don't know who has them. You don't sign them like you do your artwork."

Two of the paintings on display will feature the Herr's Mill Covered Bridge, which was moved to Elizabethtown. One of the paintings of the bridge was done in a 3D style. "He documented (history) in pictorial form," Groff added.

Not only is Denlinger known for his artwork, engraving and lettering, but he also competed three 12-by-4-foot murals that are currently for sale at an antique shop in New Holland. The murals were commissioned by Noah E. Martin in 1953 to depict seasonal scenes of Lancaster County.

Groff hopes that a buyer from the Lancaster County area will purchase the murals. "They need to be in Lancaster County," she noted. "The beauty of them and some of the things in those paintings would be lost if they were sent to some hotel in New York."

White Chimneys is located at 5117 Lincoln Highway (Route 30), Gap. To find the Denlinger exhibit, follow the signs to the front building directly across the driveway from the main house. For more information, visit http://www.facebook.com/lancasterartist or search for "Historical Society of Salisbury Township" on Facebook.